Children's National Health System

TABLE OF CONTENTS Kurt Newman, MD PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mark Batshaw, MD EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF Lauren Fisher VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND MARKETING Susan Muma MARKETING AND PHYSICIAN RELATIONS DIRECTOR Sienna Tomko MANAGING EDITOR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRUE NORTH Haley Johnson ACCOUNT MANAGER Eric Jackson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amy Walters DESIGNER Angela Williams EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas Crocker, Michael Ferguson, Valerie Lauer, Katy Mena-Berkley, Melissa Moore, Tiffany Parnell, Colin Stayton, Rachel Stewart CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPROVING CHILDREN'S HEALTH is our common goal, and an area in which we have seen continuous advancement and discovery worldwide. At Children's National, we are doing our part to find new ways to deliver care with less pain and better outcomes while being sensitive to the needs of our young patients and their families. This issue of Advancing Pediatrics focuses on this evolution in care. You'll find stories of how we've examined current practice and improved upon it—always with the goal of enhancing the experience and further improving the health of our patients. For example, we are pioneering advancements in care for bladder exstrophy, a highly complex condition. Rather than intervening surgically soon a er birth, surgeon Hans Pohl, MD, works with families to care for infants for up to six months, allowing time for emotional bonding and physical development. We've found that both are critical to improved long-term outcomes. I encourage you to read the cover story about our Neonatal Neurology and Neurocritical Care Program—one of few such dedicated programs in the nation. The article explores the evolution in care that the Division of Neonatology at Children's National is making within the NICU and research into the role of the placenta in developing targeted therapies for brain injury. We also spotlight our enhanced psychiatric services with referral guidelines for pediatric patients with eating disorders and our new, broader services for the special mental and physical health needs of LGBTQ patients. I hope you enjoy reading this issue and find the information useful in your own practice and the patients you serve. As we move ahead in 2015, I look forward to working with you as part of our shared commitment to children in our area. Sincerely, Kurt Newman, MD BEST PRACTICES Evidence-based clinical guidelines exist for the management of asthma, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, yet variations in care still occur at hospitals across the country. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY Electrophysiologists provide comprehensive routine services for the spectrum of heart rhythm disorders while maintaining a commitment to innovative approaches that reduce radiation exposure. 11 10 EATING DISORDERS The new Eating Disorders Clinic at Children's National Health System takes a multifaceted approach to the family-based therapy needs of adolescents with anorexia or bulimia. 14 A team of specialized urologists and orthopaedists is establishing a new standard of treatment for children born with bladder exstrophy. 6 BLADDER EXSTROPHY EMAIL PHONE VIDEO RESEARCH WEB RESOURCES Interested in receiving Advancing Pediatrics digitally? Visit www.ChildrensNational.org/AP or call 202-476-4500 to be added to our email list.

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